The use of an intermediate transfer member in electrostatic imaging is well known. Generally, toner materials for use with such blankets are similar to those used for direct transfer from a photoreceptor to a final substrate, such as paper.
Various types of intermediate transfer members are known and are described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,862,848, 4,684,238, 4,690,539, 4,531,825, 4,984,025, 5,047,808, 5,089,856, 5,335,054, U.S. patent applications U.S. Ser. No. 08/116,198, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGING USING AN INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER, filed Sep. 3, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,349; U.S. Ser. No. 07/400,717, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGING USING AN INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER, filed Aug. 30, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,185; U.S. Ser. No. 08/115,803 LIQUID DEVELOPER IMAGING SYSTEM HAVING A HEATED INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER, filed Sep. 3, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,274; U.S. Ser. No. 07/351,546 COLOR IMAGING SYSTEM, filed May 15, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,376 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/321,538 filed Oct. 11, 1994 titled IMAGING APPARATUS AND INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER THEREFOR to David EDAN et al., the specifications of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Removable intermediate transfer blankets for attachment to a drum for use in electrostatic images are described in a number of the above referenced patents and applications.
It has been found that the lifetime of such blankets appears to be limited at least in part by loss of surface properties of the blanket. In particular, such blankets are generally coated with a release layer, preferably a silicone release material. It appears that the release properties of the release material deteriorates with use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,638, the specification of which is incorporated herein in its entirety, Landa et al introduced a new liquid toner comprising a carrier liquid such as a light mineral oil and pigmented toner particles having fibrous extensions. The mineral oils described in the above referenced patent were ISOPAR L and M (™) type saturated hydrocarbon liquids having a high Kauri-Butanol number and a high resistivity. Many other mineral oils such as MARCOL 82 or other carrier liquids for liquid toner as are known in the art, are also suitable for the toner type of U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,638, depending on the overall characteristics specified for the toner. MARCOL 82 has a very low volatility and images produced from toners that use Marcol 82 generally have poor abrasion resistance.
A characteristic of these toners is that they solvate the carrier liquid at elevated temperatures but are substantially insoluble in the carrier liquid at room temperature. Other patents and publications that describe preferred embodiments of this toner type and additives useful in the toner are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,300,390; 5,286,593; 5,208,130; 5,266,435; 5,264,313; and 5,225,306 and in PCT publications WO 94/02887 the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.